Wakasa Oniga Castle

The stone walls of the castle extend along three baileys on Mount Tsuruo at 452 meters elevation, controlling routes between Harima and Tajima provinces.

Constructed in 1200 by Terutane Yabe from Mikawa province, the castle remained a stronghold until its abandonment under the one-castle-per-province decree in 1617.

The fortress stands as one of the Three Great Castles of Inaba Province, demonstrating medieval and early modern Japanese fortification techniques in a single structure.

Visitors can access the castle ruins from the Baba parking area, with a walking time of 50 minutes from the trailhead to the summit.

The castle features rare defensive gates, including the only known dead-end gate structure documented among Japanese castle architecture.

Location: Wakasa

Inception: 1200

Founders: 矢部暉種

Part of: Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles

GPS coordinates: 35.33658,134.39822

Latest update: May 12, 2025 08:14